Kim Mulkey is one of the best coaches in the NCAA. This is exactly why she constantly faces criticism and controversy. This year, she led her women’s basketball team, the LSU Tigers, to March Madness, thanks to the franchise’s outstanding performance throughout the season.
LSU won the national championship in 2023 and currently boasts a record of 28-5 for this season. Additionally, they secured the No. 3 seed in the Spokane Regional 1. Now, they will face the No. 14 seed San Diego State in Baton Rouge.
The coach always in the spotlight
Amid the high expectations for the show that the Tigers will put on during March Madness, many have recalled the controversies Kim Mulkey has been involved in, especially since she worked for 22 years at Baylor.
Kim Mulkey became the head coach of the Tigers in 2021. With her arrival, the team achieved its first-ever title. Last season, she took LSU to the Elite Eight, and all these accomplishments didn’t come without controversy. In fact, the coach has sparked debates on several occasions.
For instance, in 2021, she suggested it would be better to “discard” the COVID tests for the players during the Final Four. Her reasoning was that no team should miss the opportunity to shine in the competition due to a positive result. This divided opinions, as some agreed with her, while others voiced their displeasure.
Thank you to all the Tiger fans who showed out! 💛💜🤍 https://t.co/r5DzaEiAh9
— Kim Mulkey (@KimMulkey) January 19, 2025
The following year, she made headlines again for refusing to comment on the arrest of her former player, Brittney Griner, in Russia. The young woman had been detained for 10 months for marijuana possession, and Kim Mulkey kept her stance on the issue private.
In 2023, the coach expressed her frustration with the repeated questions about the absence of Angel Reese in four consecutive games. She chose not to give details, which led to a wave of constant speculation.
In 2024, Kim Mulkey found herself at the center of controversy once more, this time due to rumors about a dispute between one of her players and a Gamecocks player in South Carolina.
Undoubtedly, as the representative of a top-tier women’s basketball team like LSU, this great coach will always be a topic of discussion among NCAA analysts and fans.
